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Niccolo Paganini was probably the most influential violinist of all time. He earned a fortune, enjoyed celebrity status, and became the subject of endless rumors -- one of which was that he had made a pact with the Devil. Many believed he had indeed sold his soul. How else to explain the man who managed incredible feats of virtuosity, and who took Europe by storm, entrancing her with such music as had never before been heard? From humble origins as the gifted but unrecognized fiddler in the court of Napoleon Bonaparte's sister in Lucca, Paganini conquered the world, leaping to glory on stage in the grand concert halls of Vienna, Paris, and beyond almost overnight. His music -- exciting, innovative, and breathtakingly new -- came from the darkness, whispered in his ear by the succubus who visited him at night, torturing him with ecstasy and sad reminders of the past. And the price was high. He was possessed of a self-destructiveness that knew no bounds, diseased and addicted to vice, ravenous for sexual conquest, and unable to know love. Yet even as his shattered soul spiraled towards the Pit, a spark of light shined down on him through the love of his son. Sadly, it appeared to come too late, as the Devil returned to Niccolo's very deathbed to collect her due, his immortal soul.
